Barcelona Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 280 reviews
3/10
No Skytrax Rating
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4/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

(Spain)

I reviewed Barcelona airport back in December 2009 and commented then that there was a stark difference between terminals 1 and 2 in terms of facilities and shops etc. Almost a year later and some things have changed but not so much as you may think. Terminal 1 remains the main terminal for major airlines and medium to long haul flights. While the overall facilities have not changed those flying from sections D and E of this terminal will thankfully notice that catering facilities are now available. These two sections were previously cordoned off from the remainder of the terminal and once in you cannot leave. Incredibly both sections offered nothing in the way if refreshments or shopping until very recently. It's in terminal T2 however where most has changed. In an attempt to fill this white elephant with passengers the airport has sought to attract several new airlines with extremely low fees. There is no better example than the recent arrival of Ryanair; a quick look at their fees would indicate that they are operating from the airport free of charge! The result then is that T2 is now teeming with activity. On passing through today almost all checkin desks were open and the place was almost full to capacity. Unfortunately however the decline in passenger numbers in 2009 has had a drastic effect on retail outlets operating from mthis terminal. Of the around 100 or so retail and catering outlets I would guess that 80 are now in a permanent state of closure. It is quite depressing passing through the hoards at security to be greeted by row after row of boarded up shops and cafeterias. With the exception of one or two specialist outlets a couple of coffee shops and one restaurant there is literally nothing else to occupy the time. Another unusual aspect is that arrivals and checkin at terminal T2A are also now closed; all entry and exit is now via T2B. Ultimately then while it's good to see the airport attempting to increase it's passenger numbers but maybe it's a case of too little too late. If you are flying through T1 you are still going to experience a pleasant enough journey T2 on the other hand remains soulless and boring.
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
no
5/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

(Canada)

This is an outstanding airport. Clean efficient excellent toilets good climate control with a large variety of stops and eating places. Be prepared however for long walks to distant gates and somewhat confusing signage especially for first time arriving passengers.
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
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5/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

I used the new T1 on arrival and departure for both Schengen and non-Schengen flights. My overall impression is great. The new terminal is airy bright functional and looks beautiful. There are lots of places to sit down and relax the air is always fresh and signage is simple and clear. I was also happy to find spacious check-in area with no queues at all. Bus connection to Catalunya works perfectly taxi ride was also simple with no hassle. Immigration took just seconds to pass through. This new terminal echoes Hong Kong architecturally and in terms of overall experience quality. The only minus was baggage delivery. It took 30 minutes. Not good.
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2/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

Terminal 2 is undergoing renovation so many shops and restaurants closed. There are a few but they are limited. We found the security agents to be low class bordering on unprofessional (e.g. snickering not well-trained at all in handling international visitors). Passport control agents are dour like robots. What's the problem in giving a hint of humanity? The female passport control agent was more interested in reading her novel. We apparently disturbed her leisure. I suppose that was the reason for the dour/sour appearance to us. We flew Easyjet and it seems like BCN awarded the budget airlines the parking spaces at the most removed part of the terminal. The long walk to baggage reclaim took about 20 minutes at moderate speed. There should be an escalator walkway to help but there isn't. For the mobility impaired good luck. And toilets? None are apparent on this walkway. They are behind the shops or downstairs at baggage reclaim. I don't rate BCN high for these issues.
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4/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

Barcelona airport has had quite a few makeovers in the last few years - the last being the opening of what is now terminal 1 a few months ago. Given the fact that navigating the roads leading toward the airport is difficult and unintuitive actually getting to terminal 1 is fairly easy however they now no longer allow you to drop off outside the terminal - you must park in the multi-storey (first few minutes are free). The new terminal is infinitely better that the old one - more spacious and easier to navigate and with much better eating and shopping options. However the prices are not attractive so unless you have some spare euros to get rid of then I would stick to window shopping. One bonus is the ability to shop when you arrive as well as when you depart - though when I came through a few weeks ago at around 10pm everything was closed. The old terminal (previously terminals A B and C) are now renamed Terminal 2 A B and C an though it is large it is now all but deserted reserved almost exclusively for charter flights and budget airlines. Passing through there only this morning I noted that while Terminal 1 has around 20 flights an hour Terminal 2 has less than that a day! Of the 90 or so check-in desks we saw less than 5 open and it was clear that the shops and cafes are all running on minimum empty. Only a few weeks ago this place was still teaming with people. One good aspect of this is that parking is no longer an issue and queues are non existent. Unfortunately the biggest airline in terminal 2 - Easyjet - has relocated to terminal 2C which is itself a separate building a good 5 to 10 minute walk from terminal 2B. Our tickets still indicated terminal 2B so we joined several other passengers wandering aimlessly trying to find where Easyjet had moved to and of course with the reduction in passengers in this terminal there were no information points - or even any staff available. Terminal 2 C then was the busiest but has no facilities other than 4 vending machines and a cafe which is now closed. All in all the the distinct differences between the 2 terminals are very evident. If you are in terminal 1 you should have a nice smooth relaxing if expensive time. In terminal 2 however you may as well be in a ghost town - remember to bring your own coffee!
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4/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

On October 10th we had exactly the same problem. We saw that out tickets said go to D passport control which we did. Then we were stuck! Below us were all the shops and nice looking restaurants but on our level was a 3rd rate McDonalds and a tea shop that sold cold potato sandwiches. I went back to passport control and they would not let anyone back through. In the end there were about 10 of us all having two hours to waste and Euros to spend. The escalators only come up. One couple tried to run down it but were stopped. The lifts only go down if you have a security pass. Why is this is it because we were flying to London HR and we have such a bad reputation abroad? I hope not but why were we treated in such a bad way?
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1/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

I had the same problem as the last reviewer. If you depart from Gate D and E do not pass through passport control until boarding is about to commence. Instead follow signs to gates A B and C where you can enjoy the shops and eateries. Gates D and E trap you with only a McDonalds and a coffee shop and a surly teenager to serve you. We spent almost 2 hours in this cage looking at the lovely shops from the glass walls and sharing our grumbles with the other frustrated travellers. Absolutely ridiculous system and not something you'd expect from a major European airport.
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3/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

Terminal 1 - after checking in we were given boarding passes for Gate D. We then proceeded through the security search and saw that gates A B and C were down the escalator and that gate D was to our left and gate E to the right. We could see passports were being checked at D so we proceeded forward. Wrong. Don't go through passport control until you are ready to board your plane. Once through the security check go straight down the escalator to the shops and restaurants. The big glass balcony that houses the security check area and Gates D and E give you the impression that once you have passed through passport control you can still proceed downstairs to the shops and restaurants - you can't. Once we realised our mistake I felt such a fool that I thought I would not be telling anyone until I realised that the balcony had loads of people wandering around wondering how they could now get down to the shopping area. Although the passport booth had a sign saying you cannot return back once having passed through this just conveyed the message to most people that you could not leave the airport. We did not realise it meant you would no longer have access to the shopping/restaurant area! Note to the Barcelona airport authorities: Please get the signage at the check in desks and through security to read "Don't go through passport control until you are ready to board your plane." You are losing revenue with all those people stuck up on the balcony with boarding passes for gates D and E!
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3/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

I find Barcelona airport somewhat confusing. Coming in from Berlin we followed the sign from the gate for Schengen arrivals only to walk up to a locked door so it was back the other way to wave passports at somewhat bemused passport officers. Then you discover there are signs to three possible baggage delivery areas in Terminal 2 and have to peer at small screens to discover where yours will end up. Driving back to the airport we found ourselves going round in a circle after filling up the hire car - you get to a crossroads and have to guess and we guessed wrong. Once inside check-in was quick enough though there seem to be only very small departure screens to work out which desks you have to go to. Food is extortionate in the departure lounge.
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1/10

Barcelona Airport customer review

The access to the airport is good but the signage from the motorway is terrible. The check out through arrivals is tortuous and the baggage and passport control very very slow. Coming back through to leave Spain the same problems with the motorway signs but the check in desk was quick. Don't bother with priority boarding as you all get on the same bus to the plane and its an absolute scramble for seats. The food in the departure lounge is extortionately priced and even a simple sandwich will cost you about £5. No simple food and we went hungry until we got back to the UK and bought some good old fish and chips. A burger at Barcelona Airport was £10. Half the shops were shut and the others so expensive we didn't use them.
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